AT&T ramps up local network for Ryder Cup

As Chicago braces for the masses to descend on the city and Medinah for the Ryder Cup this weekend, AT&T Inc. is taking action to get its network in gear.

The telecom giant has “deployed a temporary cell on wheels” at Medinah to increase its LTE capacity to accommodate the roughly 45,000 people on the course grounds, many sharing photos and videos on their smartphones.

"Events like these generate memorable experiences that our customers will want to share with friends and family through text messages, photos, status updates on social networks and calls from their mobile devices," said AT&T Illinois President Paul la Schiazza.

It's an opportunity for the Dallas-based company to show off the network it has spent $3.5 billion on to improve in Illinois in recent years.

Anecdotally, Chicago customers frequently complain of dead spots on the AT&T network around the city.

The funny part about all of this is that cellphones are typically not allowed at golf tournaments.

I suppose the World Cup-esque atmosphere that spreads during this tournament is a worthy exception.

Also, a bit of disclosure: I'm one of the AT&T customers who are thankful for speedy data out here this week.